**under construction September 2020**
A Guide to Bunny Colours
I am compiling a guide of adult and kit bunny colours for my own records and thought it would be fun to share this with everybody. My aim is to put pictures to the colours described by the British Rabbit Council. It is a work in progress. Breeders may find this helps them to identify colours of their kits in the nest (which can be tricky!). Pet homes may find this page interesting to identify their favourite bunny colours.
Any feedback welcomed. If you would like me to add pictures you have (with credit) please email them to me using the email [email protected]. Thank you & enjoy.
Any feedback welcomed. If you would like me to add pictures you have (with credit) please email them to me using the email [email protected]. Thank you & enjoy.
Before starting, it may be important to note that different breeds with the same colours are known by different names. Also, the terminology I am using is that used by the British Rabbit Council... there will be no American terms used here, this is the correct terminology for colours in the UK.
All images are my own unless otherwise stated. You do not have permission to use my pictures elsewhere.
All photographs are of bunnies I have bred. This colour guide is using Mini Lops, Mini Lion Lops, Netherland Dwarfs, Mini Rex and Angora bunnies for the colour descriptions and photographs. There will be a difference in the adult colours of each breed and I will show this difference in each breed if possible.
All images are my own unless otherwise stated. You do not have permission to use my pictures elsewhere.
All photographs are of bunnies I have bred. This colour guide is using Mini Lops, Mini Lion Lops, Netherland Dwarfs, Mini Rex and Angora bunnies for the colour descriptions and photographs. There will be a difference in the adult colours of each breed and I will show this difference in each breed if possible.
Agouti Group
Agouti
The classic "wild type" colour pattern, the beautiful original.
The guard hair shafts are banded; the under colour is slate. The middle band is orange/yellow and the tips are black. The width of the intermediary yellow/orange band can vary significantly from rabbit to rabbit giving variable shades. Belly is white. Nose, eyes, and inside of ears are laced (outlined) in orange and then white. The inside of ears is the easiest place to distinguish the presence of this "outline".
Agouti bunnies often have a full thick looking coat. In Mini Rex this colour is called "Castor".
The guard hair shafts are banded; the under colour is slate. The middle band is orange/yellow and the tips are black. The width of the intermediary yellow/orange band can vary significantly from rabbit to rabbit giving variable shades. Belly is white. Nose, eyes, and inside of ears are laced (outlined) in orange and then white. The inside of ears is the easiest place to distinguish the presence of this "outline".
Agouti bunnies often have a full thick looking coat. In Mini Rex this colour is called "Castor".
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/8/1/118146189/published/img-3469.jpeg?1601398942)
The Agouti pattern. When you blow into agouti rabbits fur, you see what appears to be rings of different colours. This is created by the banding of the rabbits "guard hairs". The first colour at the base of the guard hair is the under colour (slate), the next band is the middle or intermediary orange band, then at the tip is black. The rings that you see are created by each individual hair shaft having these three bands of colour. The white colour you see at the base is made by different hairs, which are shorter for insulating the rabbit (called down hair I think, referred to as the undercoat). Now and then you can see longer hairs splitting off between the guard hairs; these are
Cinnamon
The chocolate version of the original "agouti" colour. Rather than a black based agouti rabbit, this is a chocolate based agouti rabbit. The black tips of the guard hairs are replaced by chocolate tips, giving the overall impression of a much more "orangey" rabbit than the agouti above. In the nest, this colour is just wow... the first time you experience cinnamon in the nest, you can't understand why kit looks like an orange but with beautiful silver tips of the guard hairs. Once kit is 10 days old, you know you have a little cinnamon.
Opal
The blue version of the original "agouti". Exactly the same, black based genotype but with the gene version which merely "dilutes" the black pigment to a grey colour we call blue. The tips of the guard hairs appear blue rather than black. The orange band on the hair shaft is changed to fawn. Slate undercolour. In the nest, from newborn you will possibly mistake this kit as a blue otter but once the fur grows longer (by 9 days of age) you will recognise the under lying fawn mixed throughout the coat and realise the hair shafts are banded and this is infact an opal. I also find there is much more fawn around the nose and mouth lacing in an opal than a blue otter.
Nest Kit
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Lynx
The lilac version of the original "agouti". So rather than a black based rabbit, this is a chocolate based agouti rabbit but one whose genetics also dilutes that chocolate colour down, leaving a beautiful warm lilac colour on the tips of the hair shafts. A fawn band is now in the middle of the hair shafts. Lynx have a pearly white undercolour. Just like the above, you may well mistake this kit for a lilac otter when very young in the nest, but by 9 days of age, you will notice the fawn colour flashing through the fur throughout the rabbits body, upon further investigation you will notice the subtle banded hair shafts with lilac tips.
Chinchilla
This rabbit is almost the same as an agouti but with one difference, the "chinchillated" version of a gene. This gene removes any yellow pigment from all of the hair shafts in the bunny. The hair shafts have a pearly white band with black tips. The under colour is slate. The ears are laced in black. The eye circles, underjaw, inside of ears are white. This is essentially the same lacing an agouti has but without any yellow pigment to it.
Orange
Everyone loves an orange! Orange is an "Agouti" rabbit but with what we call "non-extension" of the rabbits base colour (either black or chocolate), extending through the hair shaft; without this melanin in the hair shaft, only an orange colour remains. The best oranges are always chocolate based (it produces less smut and leaves a clear pure orange) so breed your oranges to chocolate self's where you can. Oranges can vary significantly in their intensity to dull orange, to bright fiery reds... this is all down to gene modifiers (a simple term for complicated genetic workings).
Fawn
The same as an orange, but with a colour dilution in the genotype. This rabbit is an orange but either blue or lilac based, turning that intense orange into a creamy, very beautiful, colour. Due to gene modifiers, there are blurred lines sometimes when a rabbits true colour is in question, especially when the rabbit has a patterned colour or is vienna marked. A very good and knowledgeable breeder will know the rabbits parentage at least 3 generations back and know what is possible from breeding the mother and father. Otherwise, rabbits are shown by their phenotype (what they look like), not their genotype (what they actually are).
Otter Group
Otters have a similar coat pattern to that which they are named after. There is no banding of the hair shafts, their colour is solid until you reach the nose, eyes, tail and jaw. These areas are laced by firstly fawn or orange hairs then white hairs. Their belly is white with a slate undercolour.
f you intend to show otters, true breeding otters (otters x otters) is the best way to have the best coloured otters in the room.
f you intend to show otters, true breeding otters (otters x otters) is the best way to have the best coloured otters in the room.
Black Otter
A black rabbit with distinct otter markings as described above.
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Blue Otter
A blue (grey) rabbit with distinct otter markings; lacings of fawn rather than orange. Undercolour is slate.
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Chocolate Otter
A rich chocolate coloured rabbit with otter markings as above.
Lilac Otter
A warm pinkish light grey (lilac) rabbit with otter markings; the orange is changed to a fawn colour.
Nest Kit
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Weeks Old
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Adult
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"Fox" Colours
This is an otter which can come in any of the above otter shades, but who has the chinchilla allele at the "C" locus (with no full C to dominate over it). This produces an otter looking rabbit but without any yellow pigment to the lacing, making the only lacing be white, rather than fawn then white like the full otter. A fox can be a "Blue Fox" etc in all the otter shades. Mixing chinchillas and otters will eventually down the generations produce a fox.
In The Nest - Blue Fox
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Weeks Old - Blue Fox
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Adult - Black Fox
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Self Group
Unlike the above colours groups, self rabbits are just one colour all over. They do not have any banding of the hair shafts or lacing of the eyes, nose, jaw or tails. They will have the usual slightly lighter undercoat but no banding of guard hairs.
Black Self
Plain black all over the bunny. Slate blue undercolour.
Angora: black self is called "Smoke", due to the long wool, black selfs in angora look completely different to a black self mini lop. They have a dark face where the wool is shorter but where the wool is longer, the black colour is diluted due to the hair shaft being extended so much. This explains why colours are much more difficult to distinguish in long haired bunnies, it is often best to identify colours while the bunnies are in the nest at 9 days old. See below for pictures.
Blue Self
Exactly like above but the black is diluted to produce a slate grey colour we call blue. Slate blue undercolour.
Chocolate Self
Instead of a black based self, this rabbit is chocolate based. The same rich chocolate colour is all over the bunny with a lighter slate undercolour. Chocolate's eyes have a ruby glow to them (hence why chocolates should not be bred into blue eyed white lines, it ruins the blue eye colours).
Lilac Self
Similar to the above, this rabbit is chocolate based but the chocolate is diluted to a lilac. Lilac is a warm dove (light) grey all over. It can be hard to distinguish between lilacs and blues in the nest. Remember; lilacs must have a warm pinky colour to their very light grey, whereas blues are a cool colour. If your kit in the nest is grey but there is no warm tone to it, then it is a blue. Lilacs are also extremely light coloured when they are born, initially they would look white, unlike a blue.
Shaded Self
Sooty Fawn
Rich orange which shades to black on the nose, ears, tail and belly (a sooty black colour). Very striking and popular colour with both pet homes and show judges! This colour is referred to as "Tortoiseshell" in other breeds such as Mini Rex.
Beige
A rich fawn coloured bunny which fades to blue points. Belly is blue with fawn and white undercolour. This bunny is the diluted version of the sooty fawn (the base colour is blue rather than black). Some breeders think they have a beige in the nest but its a lighter marked sooty fawn; to avoid this confusion, do not pay attention (initially) to the shade of the "black" but the shade of the "orange/Fawn". If you have a rich orange, you know you can not have a beige, a beige will be fawn.
Chocolate Tort
A rich orange coloured rabbit with darker chocolate coloured points at the nose, ears and belly. White undercolour of fur. The belly must be chocolate colour, not white. Breeders who are less experienced often confuse a chocolate tort (with very light chocolate points) as an orange; after all they are extremely similar genetically. A tort based bunny will not have white ear lacing or a white belly. Vienna markings/broken's can be near impossible to tell the difference between orange/tort/fawn.
Lilac Tort
A fawn coloured rabbit with darker lilac (light warm pinkish grey) points on the nose, flanks, tail and ears. When you have your first lilac tort, it takes a minute to work out what colour the rabbit is, initially an odd shade, but the shaded in ears should give the bunnys true colour away (and reveal it is not an orange or fawn)...
Sable Group
The sable gene's affects upon the rabbits fur are extraordinary. From the time the rabbit is born to the time it reaches adulthood at around 6 months, the rabbits fur will continually change. The rabbits colour is even temperature sensitive! Those breeding sables for show are best to breed in winter months. For the amazing colour transformations kits go through, sables are by far my favourite to watch and document growing up.
Siamese Sable
The rabbits appears to be a rich sepia brown with darker points of colour on the nose, ears, feets and tails. The back of the rabbit starts dark and blending down to a lighter sepia colour. Much like the Siamese cat colouring. Siamese sable can come in dark, medium or light. The best colouring is light, as light shading and darker points produces the most eye catching contrast.
Comparison of Siamese Sable, Seal & Seal Point
When you first start to breed sable groups, it can be confusing as to which kits are seals and which are siamese sables. Hopefully these pictures will help you to work out the difference (it is easier if you have both sorts in a litter when you initially start breeding these colours).
A Seal or A Black?? hmmmm you should be able to distinguish between a black and a seal using the above pictures but it can be difficult if you dont have a siamese sable perhaps or you're just starting out. REMEMBER: the parents to the litter will give you a huge clue; if you have bred two "sable" based rabbits together (anything from a point, a siamese sable, a smoke, a seal etc) then it is impossible to produce a black self rabbit! However, if parents give you no clues, try the following tips;
Another way to distinguish from a seal and a black is by the colour of the fur on their footpads. A seals will be sepia, whereas a blacks will be grey.
Once kits have opened their eyes properly, you should be able to tell the difference between a seal and a siamese sable by the colour of their eyes; a siamese sable will have a red glow/tint to their eye (you may have to look for this in different lights, not a camera light though just natural light). Whereas a seal will not have a red glow.
N.B. In case you were interested; the red glow comes from the recessive "c" allele at the C locus. This is essential for producing properly shaded siamese sables (in combination to the light chinchillation "cchl" allele). A seal is just missing this "c" and has a double dose of "cchl". You can get a very dark Siamese sable but this is likely caused by other factors which modify the appearance of the SS shading (everything the bunnies carries recessively has an effect on the rabbits colour! This is why it is very important what you breed to what if you want to show).
Another way to distinguish from a seal and a black is by the colour of the fur on their footpads. A seals will be sepia, whereas a blacks will be grey.
Once kits have opened their eyes properly, you should be able to tell the difference between a seal and a siamese sable by the colour of their eyes; a siamese sable will have a red glow/tint to their eye (you may have to look for this in different lights, not a camera light though just natural light). Whereas a seal will not have a red glow.
N.B. In case you were interested; the red glow comes from the recessive "c" allele at the C locus. This is essential for producing properly shaded siamese sables (in combination to the light chinchillation "cchl" allele). A seal is just missing this "c" and has a double dose of "cchl". You can get a very dark Siamese sable but this is likely caused by other factors which modify the appearance of the SS shading (everything the bunnies carries recessively has an effect on the rabbits colour! This is why it is very important what you breed to what if you want to show).
Siamese Smoke
The same shading as above but the colour is diluted, so the colour is blue based (a grey colour). The points are a blue grey at the nose, ears, feets and tail and slowing fade out the further they go from the extremities, eventually shading to a creamy blue. Like the above colour, this colour can come in dark, medium and light. To achieve the best colours in sables, breed them to REWs from sable lines (see below).
Nest Kits
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Weeks Old
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Adult
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Chocolate Sable
Like the Siamese Sable, but chocolate based rather than black based.
In The Nest
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Weeks Old
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Adult
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SealPoint
A light cream bunny with dark sepia "points" of fur on the nose, ears, feet and tail.
Blue Point
Light cream bunny with blue (grey) points of fur on the nose, ears, tail and feets.
Chocolate Point
Overall, bunny is a beautiful cream colour with points of rich dark chocolate on the nose, ears, feets and tail.
Frosty Point
A white (or extremely near to white, a pale cream) rabbit with very subtle "points" of darker colours at the nose and ears. Depending on the shade and genetics, depends how dark the "points" appear. This is a distinctly different colour in the nest to Sealpoints but is often confused by inexperienced breeders as Sealpoints or blue points etc. Blue points and seal points etc start off in the nest as soon as they develop fur with a lot of "colour" to them, whether that is silvering of a blue point or the dark sepia shadings of a seal point. The seal points/blue points etc will gradually LOSE this extra colour as they grow and reach 8 weeks, whereas a frosty point will START off completely white, like a red eyed white but with black eyes. THIS is how you tell a frosty point. A true colour point bunny starts off in the nest with lots of colour (even a lilac point will have a lilac sheen to its fur), whereas frosty points have NO colour, not even a sheen, and they develop the subtle point as they reach 8 weeks. A frosty point is very boring to watch grow compared with a true colour pointed bunny like sealpoint.
Frosty Point is an unstandardized colour and can be created in many ways. Most likely created by mixing "non extension" genes with "agouti" or "chinchilla" genes. In my experience, frosty points can be created from BOTH selfs and agoutis (which contrasts to the BRC information but I have definitely created frosty points from non-agouti based rabbits, I have no doubt). If you know your rabbit carries either "chinchilla" or the dreaded "harlequin"/"japanese brindling"/"Magpie" genes and you mix them with pointed rabbits, then you know for a start you have a good chance of creating frosty points. A frosty point will initially look in the nest like a Red Eyed White (completely devoid of any colour at all, pure white), but with with black eyes. Do not keep any kits, no good can come of them if you want to show, these genetics should not be mixed, identifying future generation kit colours will be near impossible. As a breeder you will be making your life very hard for yourself breeding any agouti/chinchilla with sable genes.
Marten Group
This is basically when a sable based rabbit has been mixed with an otter based rabbit... the result is a "Marten Sable" or in other words, a shaded rabbit with otter markings. This is a beautiful colour and I have some examples.
Marten Seal
This rabbit is the same as a seal as above but also has otter markings too;
Marten Sable
This rabbit is essentially a siamese sable with otter markings too;
Martenised Blue Point
Beautiful colour, a blue point with otter markings;
Martenised Seal Point
Same colouring as a seal point but with the addition of otter markings too. This "otter" influence does change the seal point colouring a little bit I have found. The adult marten seal point has considerably less "point" on the nose... the point poorly covers the face (I do not have a decent picture of the kit as an adult as I did not keep her).
Broken Group
Any of the above colours in conjunction with white (this does not include Vienna Marked rabbits, see below). The pattern the colour forms, will dictate what the "broken" colour pattern is referred to as. Please note, for showing purposes, each breed has its own strict policy as to what can be shown (e.g. the symmetrical nose pattern of a butterfly may be required, or a certain ratio of colour to white must be met and/or not exceeded, etc. You would need to consult your bunny oracle (the BRC breed standards) if showing is your aim as the rules are very specific to each breed.
Here are some examples of lovely broken patters which can be achieved;
Here are some examples of lovely broken patters which can be achieved;
Butterfly
This rabbits colour pattern is even and symmetrical on its face, with its nose fully covered with colour. The ears should also be fully covered. The rabbits back should be well coloured too (how much depends on the breed). This is my favourite pattern of brokens by far as a show breeder you know how hard well patterned butterfly rabbits are to breed!
Mantle
This is a broken rabbit but with a very high amount of colour covering the rabbit, the only white is on the rabbits chest which possibly extends down the front legs too. Although not showable in the breeds I breed, this is still a striking rabbit, with a lovely colour and because of this mantles are always popular with pet homes. If you want to show, check the breed standard to see if this colour is showable.
Booted
Very similar to the above, but with clear "boots" of white on the feet of the rabbit, making a really cute bunny. I have only ever bred this colour by accident in my mini rex and I can honestly say I have absolutely no idea how these booted rabbits came about. It was the first time I bred an orange with a broken blue otter and unfortunately I never repeated the mating (in the rex "booted" is unshowable, or was at the time I looked it up).
The All White Group
The following rabbits are all white. Please do not think these rabbits are genetically similar (like above groups) because I have grouped them together. They are not. Genetically, these rabbits are different and breeding one group to the other is not recommended (in show lines).
Red Eyed White (REW)
Classic white rabbit with red eyes. In every breed this is a very popular rabbit colour to show because as long as you dont mix with other white groups the colour is perfect and you only have to concentrate on your rabbits "type" rather than colour faults too. Personally, I think this is the reason that show rabbits in Red Eyed White are ALWAYS extraordinary in type, always better than any other rabbits in their breed. The breeder is able to chose any rabbit in the litter at all, he/she doesn't have to worry about the colour of the rabbit.
REWs are also essential for the correct colouring of any sable based rabbits. REW's are produced by two recessive "c" gene alleles inherited by each parent, regardless of any other colouring genes, the rabbit will be white with red eyes, this is also known as albinism and is basically a complete lack of pigment in the rabbits fur or eyes. This "c" gene allele colours sables correctly, perhaps because it will reduce the colour pigment in the rabbit. Without the "c" gene allele is a sable rabbit, you can only produce "seals" see above. This highlights the importance of recessive colour genes, they DO make a difference to the rabbits overall colour, regardless of them not being dominate, so chose your pairings wisely if you want to compete.
REWs are also essential for the correct colouring of any sable based rabbits. REW's are produced by two recessive "c" gene alleles inherited by each parent, regardless of any other colouring genes, the rabbit will be white with red eyes, this is also known as albinism and is basically a complete lack of pigment in the rabbits fur or eyes. This "c" gene allele colours sables correctly, perhaps because it will reduce the colour pigment in the rabbit. Without the "c" gene allele is a sable rabbit, you can only produce "seals" see above. This highlights the importance of recessive colour genes, they DO make a difference to the rabbits overall colour, regardless of them not being dominate, so chose your pairings wisely if you want to compete.
In the Nest - REW
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Weeks Old - REW
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Adult - REW
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Blue Eyed White (BEW)
Blue eyed white bunnies are produced by the recessive gene allele known a "v", or vienna gene mutation. Two "v" gene alleles from both parents will produce a blue eyed white rabbit, regardless of any other colour genetics.
If you are breeding to compete, do not mix chocolates/lilacs/REWs with your Blue Eyed White line because the red eye glow will ruin your beautiful blue eyes of your show bunny.
It is very popular now with "hobby" breeders (this only means those breeders who have no intention of showing their bunnies), to breed "vienna marked" bunnies. This is where the bunny has only inherited one recessive "v" gene, so is not a blue eyed white, but has white markings typical of a vienna carrier. These markings are very attractive to pet homes and as you can see below it is very cute. Show breeders though do not mix BEW genes with their show lines for good reason; the "v" gene, it seems, does not disappear for generations and it unfortunately causes white nails and random white patches which are disqualifications in show. So, for this reason, blue eyed whites are kept to their own lines and never mixed.
If you are breeding to compete, do not mix chocolates/lilacs/REWs with your Blue Eyed White line because the red eye glow will ruin your beautiful blue eyes of your show bunny.
It is very popular now with "hobby" breeders (this only means those breeders who have no intention of showing their bunnies), to breed "vienna marked" bunnies. This is where the bunny has only inherited one recessive "v" gene, so is not a blue eyed white, but has white markings typical of a vienna carrier. These markings are very attractive to pet homes and as you can see below it is very cute. Show breeders though do not mix BEW genes with their show lines for good reason; the "v" gene, it seems, does not disappear for generations and it unfortunately causes white nails and random white patches which are disqualifications in show. So, for this reason, blue eyed whites are kept to their own lines and never mixed.